SAVAGE WATER (1979) / DEATH BY INVITATION (1971) from Vinegar Syndrome 3/12

A dirty pair of regional rarities escape with this DVD double-bill courtesy of Vinegar Syndrome!

First up is Paul Kener's SAVAGE WATER (1979), a proto-slasher that finds a group of jean-shorted non-actors white water rafting through the wilds of Colorado. After seemingly-endless scenes of bewildering chit chat, casual travelogue and gratuitous eating, the film remembers its reason for existence and begins to kill off its cast. Almost existential in its ineptitude, SAVAGE WATER has been called the worst slasher of all time by those who actually know. My preorder's locked.

Its companion is Ken Friedman's DEATH BY INVITATION (1971), a bizarro New York outing produced by CARNIVAL OF BLOOD's Leonard Kirtman. Lise has witchcraft in her blood, and is still pissed off at the male sex 300 years after her descendant was burned at the stake. Lengthy monologues about feminist cannibals are the order of the day, and nothing else makes much sense as she sets out to even the score with her deadly fingernails.

Presenting fresh transfers from 35mm, Vinegar Syndrome give SAVAGE WATER its domestic debut, while DEATH BY INVITATION was previously issued on VHS from Something Weird Video. As a bonus, both titles feature commentary tracks by Justin Kerswell and his Hysteria Continues podcast cohorts.

Never heard of anything that this label is putting out except for the HG Lewis movies that are already out, but this and the fact that they're older is what makes them so exciting to me. Can't wait to get my pre-order, I put it in weeks ago but what I really want is The Massage Parlor Murders!

On the same day the company is releasing a double-bill of EXPECTATIONS (1977) and CONFESSIONS (1977), two '70s titles from highly regarded adult filmmaker Anthony Spinelli. I haven't seen either. (I did see 1976's NIGHT CALLER by Spinelli, a roughie based around an obscene phone caller who eventually crosses the line. I remember thinking it was pretty good, and quite sleazy.)

Thanks, I'm trying to get better at writing these things, glad you enjoyed it. I also have their Expectations/Confessions disc to review which is going to be a bitch because I'm not sure how to review hardcore movies. I don't watch erotic stuff much, so I don't have much to base it on.